Automatic gauge control and means therefor



May 7, 1935. P, s. ARNOLD I AUTOMATIC GAUGE CONTROL AND MEANS THEREFOR Filed June 7, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

lMaly 7, 1935. P. s. ARNOLD AUTOMATIC GAUGE CONTROL AND MEANS THEREFOR Filed June 7,' 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 7, 1935.. P. s. ARNOLD AUTOMATIC GAUGE CONTROL AND MEANS THEREFOR Filed June 7, 1929 Patented May 7, 1935 *lJNl'lE-D s'mrlzsy PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC GAUGE CONTROL AND IVIEAN S THEREFOR Philip s. Arnold, Flint, Mieli., assignor of oneffth to Charles E,v Wisner, Detroit, Mich.V

Application 1m07.192s, serial No. 369,134

' 3 claims. (o1. :i3-111.7)v

This invention relates to automatic gauges for gauging the diameter of cylindrical work during a reduction in the diameter thereof as byV a grinding machine, lathe, or other device i for the purpose and so arranged' as to constantly indicate the extent of reduction of the diameter and visibly indicating when the work has been reduced to the predetermined diameter.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact, and comparatively inexpensive tool for this purpose counterbalanced in such manner that the tool does not rest with its full Weight on the work thus reducing wear on the tool,the arrangement being such that a manual operation is required to position the device in operative relation with the work and by manual movement of the device from engagement with the work the device, upon release is automatically withdrawn from close association with the .2 work permitting ready removal-of the finished work or introduction of new work tov the machine.

A further feature of the invention is in the provision of means restricting movement of the tool either in placing the same on the work or the automatic Withdrawal from any determined point to inoperative position whereby breakage ofthe tool through carelessness of the operator is avoided in the placing of the tool on the work and further relieving the operatorfrom attention to the tool once it is withdrawn from its operative relation with the work,it being only necessary to release the tool at such time to itsv automatic control. A l

The desired feature of the structurels to secure a thinness of parts particularly the portion engaging the work permitting the same to be introduced into a cylindrical groove on the work or where space is limited by work rests or other devices being positioned on or near the -part being operated on and at the `same time provide vcontact elements of such design as to prevent the same from engaging the key-ways or slots that may be formed in the surface being reduced in diameter. j

A1 further object is to secure a device of such simplicity of construction and arrangement 'as to permit the operative parts to be` practically wholly enclosed and thus shielded. from the grit 50 andvwaste material produced in the operation of the machine on the work.

A further object istol provide gauging elements one of whichv is relatively iixed and the other movable and both yieldably held in contact with thesurface `of the work.

Vmounting ,of-the tool relative to the supporting The principal i object and feature or the. invention` is to provide a tool of the character `stated in which shoes or'work contacting portions are provided the one engaging the under side being relatively fixed and the other engag- U5 ing the diametrically opposite -side of the Work and-'yieldably held in contact therewithand in conjunction with such a tool a suspension means tending to hold the relatively fixed shoe in contact with the surfacevbeing operated on under l'10 pressure suicient to lift the tool to inoperative yposition when released from engagement with vthe work.

These and other objects and various novel features of the invention' are hereinafter more fully -15 described and claimed, and the preferred form `of construction of a gauge and control element embodying my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings nwhich- Y f Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tool showing the same in relation to a'igrinding `wheel and the work being operatedon, the tool being shown in operative position in full lines and in inoperative position indotted lines. 1 Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the tool taken from the left side `of Fig. l'. s Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the tool:

i Fig. 4`is asection taken on line 4-4 of Fig..3.

Fig. 5 is a section on an enlarged scale taken y on line-S-S of Fig. 2. `30

Fig. 6 is lan elevation partly in section showing the mechanism for supporting or suspending the tool. f l

Figc? is a section taken on line 1-1 of Fig.f6.

Fig. v8 is a detail partly in section showing the arm.

Y The'gauging portion of the tool is shown more clearly in Fig. 3. They tool consists of. the gauge proper I and the supportingl element which consists of theoscillatible arml and the auto- `matic control. indicated generally at ElA all of .which is supported by meansof a bracket 4 viixedlysecured toA a stationary portion ofthe machine as for instance the `guard 5v of the .45 grinding wheel 6 whenthe device is used in conjunction with a grinding machine.

v Thetool proper is shown more clearly in Fig.

tudinally as indicated and is driven to place in securing the arm 9 to the body and this arm 3 has an extension provided with the contact points II and I2 which engage finished surfaces on the tool body when the arm 9 is assembled therewith. Thus, this arm by means of a single pin (which is necessarily contracted by being driven to position) is xedly held in position. The arm 9 is arcuate in form and very thin to enable the sameto pass into narrow cylindrical grooves on shafts and the like which it may be desired to gauge. The lower end of the arcuate arm 9 is provided with a' shoe I3 which engages the under side of the work indicated by dotted lines I4 in Fig. 3 and in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2. This shoe is also narrow in form butin a direction circumferentially of the work is comparatively wide which enables theV shoe to ridev over slots or keyways oftentimes cut into the surface at the point the work is being ground or nished'. The opposite shoe I5, .which when the parts are in gauging position is diametrically opposite the shoev I3, is of the same character and the arm I! is provided with a projection I6 in the inner side approximately equidistantly between the two shoes and provides a stop limiting the possible movement of the tool onto the Work in placing the same thereon.

The shoe I5 is carried by a rod I6 that is reciprocatable -in the body 'I and is preferably rectangular in form at the lower end as will be `understood from Fig. 4, and it is to be noted in conjunction with Fig. 4 that preferably the lower partof the body has an opening through the side wall closed by a strip I1 held in place by rivets I8. The upper end I 9 of the rod is hollow and cylindrical in form and is provided with a slot 20 on one side thereof. At the'extreme upper end the rod is threaded to receive the adjusting screw 2| which is engaged by the dial actuator 22. This actuator has a projection 23 on one side to engage the end of the pointer actuating pin 24` This dial, indicated at 25, is of the common form used in .structures of this character and in this case is mounted on a bracket 26 on one side of the body of the tool and has a stem 2I extending through an aperture in the body of the tool and in which the pointer actuating pin 24 is reciprocatable.. The head of the pointer actuating pin is beveled as shown and the under face of the projection 23 of the pin `22 is also beveled at the same angle and engages thereon. The adjusting screwy 2| .limits the upward movement of the dial actuator v22 andv is held in engagement therewith by means of .a coiled spring 28. This pin 22 is loose in the socket 20 provided therefor in the rod "I6 as shown. There is also a coiled fspring. 30

attached at the lower end to the body f of the tool andlat the upper end engagesin a. notch 3| 'shown in Fig. 5, formed in the end of the rod I6. Thus, this spring tends'to force the shoe I5 to contact with the upper side of the Work and the shoe I3 to contact with the lower side diametrically opposite.

As the work is reduced in diameter` the spring 30 draws the shoes at I3 and I5 toward each Aother and this causes the screw 2I which is attached to the rod to move the pin 22 downwardly and thus depress the pointer actuator element 24 to cause an indication. The Vdial includes the usual pointer 32 shown in Fig. 2 land a. calibrated face over which thepointer is movable and when the gauge is placed on the work the pointer will be moved to the left of the posilment on the shaft 36. f

tion shown in Fig. 2 due to the shoes being moved a distance apart greater than the diameter to which the shaft or other work I4 is to be reduced. Therefore, in operation, as the work is reduced in diameter the spring 30 causes the shoes to approach each other and thus moves the pointer actuating pin 24. This causes the pointer 32 to. move toward the right until the needle points to the proper indication at which time th'e work is nished as yto diameter. By adjusting the screw 2I the tool may be set to gauge various diameters Within its capacity. Preferably the end of the body is provided with a. cap 33 which has a tubular projecting portion 34 into .which the .screw 2I may move in forcing the shoes I3 and I5 apart in placing the same on unfinished work.

It willbe noted in Fig. 5, which is an enlarged section on lines 5, 5 of Fig. 3, that the upper end of the rod I6 is cylindrical in form and the body is formed at that point to provide a guide for the rod in its reciprocation. Also thatthe body is provided with a slot 36 opening to the recess in which the upper end of the tool'is positioned in which slot the end 23 of the pin 22 rides, and that the spring 30 is provided in a recess `30a at one side of the recess for the cylindrical end of the tool.

The gauge proper therefore, as will be understood from the foregoing. is very simple and compact in form and consists of the `body with which is associated the arm 8 carrying the shoe I3. and the reciprocatable rod I6 carryingthe shoe I5 and the indicator and actuating elements at the upperend of the body; and further that all of the control or actuating mechanism is entirely enclosed and shielded from dirt and possible ingress of abrasives from the grinding wheel or particles. of the steel removed in the grinding or cutting operation being performed on the Work. y

It has heretofore been the practice to mount a gauge on the work in such manner thatvthe weight of the gauge is supported by the shoes. This tends to cause an excessive wear of the shoes and to obviate this diiliculty I have devised a mechanism suspending the gauge relative to the Work so that practically the only pressure (of. the shoes on the work is the pressure of the spring 30. As hereinafter described the suspension means overbalances the weight of the gaugeproper tending to liftthe same. The suspensionv means preferably consists of av shaft 36 rotatably mounted in a tubular member A3'! -secured in thev upper end Vof the tool body as shown. This shaft 36 is also provided with a groove 38 in the inner end anda screw 33 extends through the tubular member 3.1 into the groove 38 and thus prevents longitudinal move- 'I'o this rod 36 is attached the arm 2 it having a split end 2a by means of which it may be clamped to the rod 36 and is split at the opposite end as indicated at 38 in Fig. 6 to bindingly engage a shaft 39 rotatable in a bracket in the end 40 of the bracket 4 by means of which the tool is suspended relative to the wheel guard 5. The control device indicated generally by the vnumeral 3 consists of a receptacle 4I for oil and is provided with a removable cap 42. 'By removal of the cap the receptacle may be supplied with oil or other desired uid. This receptacle is secured at one side to the: end 40 of the brack- .extend therethrough and through a chamber 42' .cutaway `portion 55 is open at the point 6I to provided vat the bottom of thereceptacle casting. A closure 43 is provided forthe said chamber vand is secured, as by `means ofscrewsshown in Fig. l, to the receptacle 4I. This'closure imember provides a'bearing for the inner end of is secured tothe slotted end of .an adjusting screw 41 which extends through `an unthreaded 'aperture in the cap--48 whichA provides' a closure for theend of the chamber 44. Y

. The screw is provided withy alock nut 49 and by turning this screw one way or the other upon release of the lock nut the tension of the spring v45r may be increased or decreased and thus actually counterbalance theweight of the tool or overbalance. the samen-and thus automatically lift the tool when freed from the work .as may be desired. Upon adjustment to the desired tension, the nut is turned up to bring the .shoulder of the part 41 into tight engagement withthe cap48. t The bracket 4 is shown as secured tothewheel guard but it may be positioned on any .convenient part of the machine which would permit the positioning of the gauge at the proper place forward of the grinding wheel or cutting instrument used to reduce the diameter of the work. This bracket is supported principally bythe stud bolt 50 there being`r at least three other adjusting screws 5|, 52 and 53 permitting the bracket to be adjusted to position the shaft y39 on the horizontal plane to maintainV the tool strictly in a vertical plane and thus in proper gauging relation with the work when positioned thereon..

There is also a further problem solved by the structure Vherein shown. This tool is intended to be raised from its operative to inoperative position as shown by full and dotted lines in Fig. 1 so that when the tool is removed from the work it occupies the dotted position and therefore out of the way permitting the removal from or positioning of vthe work in the machine. rIn

vmoving the tool manually from and to the operating position the workman may carelessly injure the tool by toorapid movement and further to move the tool from the work consumes the time of the operator. To avoid these difficulties I have provided the oil receptacle 4i heretofore mentioned and in the chamber 42 and attached to the shaft 39 by means of a pin 54 is Va pump element which is simply a cylindrical piece of metal practically fitting the chamber 42 at the bottom of the oil receptacle in which it is positioned.

This element 55 is provided with a cutout portion 56 on one side in which is positioned a stop 51 fastened in the bottom of the chamber 42 by the screw 58. This extends across the element 55 from one end of the chamber 42 to the other and is practically engaged by the shoulder 59 of the pump element when the tool is in gauging position on the work and by the shoulder when the tool is raised to full inoperative position. As will be seen in Fig. 7 the lower end of the receptacle 4I is semi-circular in cross section and practically `of the same radius as the element 55 rotatable therein and this pump element 55 extends upwardly into the receptacle to such extent that when the tool is in its operative position on the work the recess formed by the the receptacle 4I-and thus lls with'theoil..

.Bearing in mind that there is Va tendency of Vthe tool to move .upward to'inoperativeposition by reason of the torsion of the spring 45 which is not only of suflicient tension to balance the weight of the tool but to actually lift the same, it will be seen that, 4by withdrawing the toolmanually by movement to the left from'the position shown in full lines in Fig.y 1 and releas- Ving thev tool, the spring will move the toolupward tothe dotted inoperative position but that this movement will be accomplished slowlyand -without jar because the oil inthe pocket formed in the cutout portion 56 in the pump` element 55 and wall of the chamber 42V will be pocketed therein 'andvcannot escape exceptby reason: of the intentional looseness .of fthe'.l parts which permits a comparatively slow'leakage and thus a meansv is provided preventingl a'sudden Amovement of the tool.

When the tool lhas reached the inoperative position the shoulder 59 comes to the same relation with the oil of the receptacle as is described relative to the shoulder 60 only on the opposite side of. the oilreceptacle. i Thus, when the Voperator is ready to, move the tool to gauging position yhe is restrained from jammingthe tool on the work because'he cannot bring the tool to -operative position except in the predetermined lcare-- ful manner by reason of .the oil in the-cutout portion 56 requiring to be discharged from' the pocket Vbetween the shoulder 59 `and the stop member 51 in the `vsame manner as described relative to the upward vmovement of the-tool.

By this arrangement providingl the pocket' for oil and the f. pump 'element 55- and a f-r'estricted .discharge of oil from the pocket, the tool at 'no time canbe injured byearelessness of the work'- `man by sudden'jamming of the tool"onto5th'e work or indisarrangement of the parts bythe sudden shock of the-tool in its upward movement .to inoperative position and theworkman .isfreedfrom attentionto 'the tool immediately upon its withdrawal from the work'forlwhich purpose'it is.only necessary. to grasp 'the tool adjacent the. gauging end and move itrslightly to the Yleft of the full line position shownfin ',Fig.y 1. f I

' Thetool ashas been .stated heretofore, has the arm 9 and a lug I6 positioned approximately on a line passing through the center of the work at a right angle to the line passing between the centers of the shoes and limits the extent to which the tool may be positioned on the work but as the shoes are of arcuate form practically or closely approaching the arc of the finished work the shoe will stand centrally on the work due not only to tension of the torsion spring 45 i but also due to the spring 30 drawing the shoes together to engagement with the work.

Rotationl of the work is in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3 and there is therefore no tendency for the tool to move off from the Work during the gauging operation but requires the manual act of the operator to release the same and as soon as released from this position the tension of the spring 45 raises rthe tool to inoperative position.

The drawings and description refer more particularly to cylindrical work being finished but the invention is not confined to the use of the gauge on cylindrical work as it may be employed for instance in gauging work formed with a taper. Therefore, the claims principally involve vof the same on the Work.

-the use of the tool in the gauging'ofwork being ygauge from position upon release, from the work or in preventing jamming of the tool onto the work by the operator in' positioning the same is not affected by the specific character or form of the work being gauged. r

From the foregoing description it will be observed 'that the gauge proper i's-of very simple and .compact construction, is suspendedto relieve the shoes of the weight ofthe tool,fand that the tool upon manual Withdrawal fromthe work is automatically moved to inoperative position without attention or'act of the operator and the operator is restrained by the 'control device from jamming the tool in .the positioning Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim and desire tok secure by- Letters Patent of p the United States is- 1. In a device for gaugingjwork during itsreduction in size, a'gauge including'work contacting elements engaging opposite sides of the work and including an indicator visibly indicating the `extentiof reduction in size, asupporting element forthe gauge including an armY to which the gauge is pivotally connected, a hydraulic control device including a stationarily supported bracket and-a container for fluid, a shaftconnected with the Yarm and rotatably supported in the container, an element secured to the shaft to turn therewith and fitting the lower part of the fluid "container,l said rotatable element being in -the form of a disk having a portion thereof cut from its periphery providing a chamber when mounted in the container, a stop device extendingacross the bottom of the container in xed vrelation therewith and extending into the said chamber providing a means limiting the extent of rotation of the arm in either direction, the bottom of the chamber and the rotatable' element V`being so relatively constructed and arranged that upon the limit of movement thereof in either direction the chamber provided by the cutaway portion of the rotatable element is -open to ingress of fluid from the container and uponv movement! ofthe element from either limitof movement fthe'. fluid is trapped between the said stop and the end of provide for slow. leakage of the :duid from the filled chamber thereby restricting rapidity of movement yof the rotatable element in ,either direction. v

2. Ina device for gauging a piece of work? during the finishing operation vby a machine, a torsionA spring tending to raise the gauge away .from the Work upon its release therefrom, a shaft rotatable by the spring and to which the gauge "is connected, a 'liquid chamber, a pump element secured to the shaft and positioned in the liquid .chamber operable by the said spring uponrelease of the' tool from the work to pass a body of liquid through a restricted opening provided therefor and thereby limit the rapidity of move- .ment of the tooll away from the Work by the spring.

3.,In a device for gauging a piece of Work `during the finishing operation by a. machine, a

bracket xed to the machine, a shaft having one end thereof pivotally mounted in the bracket, a liquid receptacle secured to the bracket, the shaft extending into the receptacle, an arm having one end thereof secured to the shaft externally of the receptacle, a pump element inthevreceptacle attached to the shaft/and by rotation tending to pass fluid through a restricted opening to thereby retard the speed of rotation thereof, an adjustable spring means tending to turn the-shaft in one direction to raise the arm, a gauge element pivotally supported vat the opposite end of the arm, said element including an upper and a lower shoe for engaging oppositesides of the Work piece being finished, lthe parts being so positioned that the 'lower shoe is held in contact withvthe surface of the `Work being finished by means ofthe spring, the upper shoenbeing movable relative to the lower shoe, a spring tending to move the upper shoe to contact with the Work, an indicator member actuated by movement of the upper shoe toward the Work to indicate the extent of reduction in diameter thereof, said first named spring and arm being so arranged that, upon manual removal of the shoes from the work piece, the arm and the gauge are automatically .raised to position the shoes above the work piece.

PHILIP S. ARNOLD,

the chamber Wall, the Aparts being arranged to 

